When we think of veganism, we tend to picture changes to our diet such as healthy milk swaps – but what about vegan hair care?
This may sound a little strange on paper, but if you’ve ever seen anything that’s not food marked as ‘vegan’, allow us to explain. Vegan beauty products, such as shampoos or soap, are named so because they have not harmed animals in any way. So, cruelty free hair products can only make this claim if:
- They are not tested on animals
- They contain no animal derivatives (such as glycerine, which comes from animal fats)
- They do not harm animal environments (such as harvesting palm oil).
The beauty of choosing vegan, cruelty free hair care is that it’s often a sustainable option, too. This means it has less of an impact on the environment – for example, it doesn’t need trees to be chopped down to be produced.
How do I know if my hair care is cruelty free?
If you don’t feel like scrutinising the ingredients list, you’re not alone! A product needs to be certified vegan to make the claim, so look for accreditations such as approved by the Vegan Society. Other examples include the Cruelty Free International badge.
You might even want extra sustainability points and look for recyclable bottles or Fairtrade approval.
What kind of vegan hair care options are out there?
Generally, you’ll find cruelty free hair care in the form of shampoos, conditioners and hair dyes. These products stay away from animal-derived additives such as keratin. While this ingredient is marketed to smooth frizzy hair, it’s sadly often made from ground up animal hair, horns, hooves or feathers.
Vegan shampoos use natural ingredients to achieve the same effects as standard high street shampoos.
For smoother locks
Look for natural butters such as mango butter, found in vegan hair masks. You may also find ingredients such as shea butter (derived from the African shea tree) in vegan hair dyes.
For better colour
Many hair dye products are tested on animals because they contain ingredients such as ammonia or resorcinol. For a cruelty free alternative that’s also kinder to the planet, look for vegan hair dyes made from natural ingredients.
Henna hair dye uses plant derivatives such as lawsonia inermis or Indigofera tinctoria for chestnut and deeper brown or black shades. This also means it’s a hypoallergenic hair product and kinder to your skin.
For a deep clean
Many high street shampoos rely on sodium lauryl sulphate for its degreasing effects. But this can be harmful to our skin and the environment – and you can get just as deep a clean with henna shampoo. This is because henna contains natural antiseptic ingredients, helping to soothe your scalp and even clear dandruff.
Save your locks; save the animals
You don’t have to sacrifice luscious locks to go cruelty free. Our vegan hair care products will keep your hair shiny and strong, with no impact on the planet.